Go ‘Vocal for Local’ with these ‘Made in India’ smart TV brands

The year 2020 has been nothing less than a roller-coaster ride. This year, Indians witnessed the coronavirus pandemic, a nationwide lockdown, a face-off between Indian and Chinese armies in the Galwan Valley, and a call to boycott Chinese products, among others.  

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Following this, many Indians took to the street and destroyed many Chinese goods, including TVs. Further, a survey conducted by social media firm LocalCircles in June said that a whopping 97 percent of Indians, across 235 districts, will boycott major Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus, among others. 

Till March 2020, most Indians bought smart TVs made by companies with headquarters in China. In March quarter, a report by Counterpoint Research revealed that Xiaomi led the smart TV market in India with a 27 percent market share, followed by LG at a distant 14 percent, Samsung at 10 percent, Sony with nine percent, and TCL with eight percent. 

The firm also pointed out that while Chinese brands are aggressive in the Asian smart TV market, Indian and Japanese TV brands still have a fair chance to increase their share in Asia, especially in the Indian market.

The Indian smart TV market is poised to grow on the back of increased Internet penetration, as well as rising OTT consumption. The market will also see growth as Indians try to buy more ‘Made in India’ TVs, corroborating with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission of becoming an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat.’ 

Here are four Indian smart TV companies to explore, if you are looking at going ‘Vocal for Local.’ 

Super Plastronics

One of the lesser-known Indian TV brands is 30-year old Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL). Led by Avneet Singh Marwah, the Noida-based company is also a brand licensee for Kodak and Thomson TVs in India. 

Recently, it launched its range of Android-based smart TVs across Kodak and Thomson in the premium, as well as the affordable segment. The newly launched range is called the Oath Pro series, priced at Rs 24,999 onwards, and is available in three sizes – 43-inches, 55-inches, and 65-inches. 

All TVs in this range will have Ultra-HD resolution (3840x2160-pixel) screens, along with support for HDR, up to the Dolby Vision format. Initially, SPPL used to make plastic injection moulding, which then graduated to the manufacturing of CRT TVs and LED TVs. It has three manufacturing plants in India located in Noida, Una, and Jammu. 

VU Technologies

Homegrown Vu Technologies makes next-generation smart TVs in the affordable segment, starting from Rs 12,000. Vu Televisions is reportedly the largest manufacturer of 4KTVs in India.

Started in 2006 in California with headquarters in Mumbai (India) by second-generation entrepreneur Devita Saraf, the company clocks a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore ($130 million). It has sold over two million TVs worldwide to date. 

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Last month, the company launched a new range of smart TVs called Vu Cinema with features such as A+ grade panel, 40W surround speakers with Dolby Audio, bezel-less, and voice-assistant remote with Android 9.0 Pie, including major content apps. Vu Cinema has three variants between Rs 12,999 and Rs 21,999.

Shinco India 

Delhi-based Shinco India is breaking the myth that the best products come at a hefty price. Launched by a second-generation entrepreneur Arjun Bajaj in 2018, the ‘Made in India’ television brand offers affordable, wide-screen LED TVs.  It manufactures under the parent company Videotex International, a leading ODM television company started by his father Vinay Bajaj. 

These televisions, which are produced in the range of 24-inches and 65-inches and priced between Rs 5,400 and Rs 48,000, are manufactured in the company’s facility in Greater Noida, which has a commission capacity of a million units. 

T-Series Electronics

From being a fruit juice seller to owing a cassette shop in Daryaganj, Gulshan Kumar launched one of India’s leading music label in 1983. T-Series is a well-known homegrown entertainment giant that has produced many films, and music videos. 

In fact, the brand also manufactures a range of smart TVs which starts from Rs 12,000. The TV comes with the latest technology, and is capable of streaming popular OTT platforms such as Netflix, Hotstar, etc. The TV also features a sleep timer, colour polarisation, and A+ grade screen panel, among others.